Mike Nadel: Bears need not reach high to find franchise QB

Mike Nadel

Thursday

Jan 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2008 at 4:47 PM

Because of the outsized pressure a first-round quarterback faces and because very few succeed as rookies, there are only two reasons a team that considers itself a contender should draft a QB early: One, the kid is a can't-miss stud; or two, the team is set at every other position and can afford to take a flyer.

"Could be an NFL backup."

"'Smart guy,' one scout said. 'That's it.'"

"Lacks great physical stature and strength. Lacks mobility. Lacks a really strong arm. Can't drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. System-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib."

No, those aren't assessments of the Bears' quarterbacks. Those are scouting reports - the first appearing in The Sporting News, the second in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the third in Pro Football Weekly - leading up to the 2000 NFL draft.

The QB who was so lacking? Tom Brady.

And so you see how one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history - I say he's No. 1 if his Patriots complete their undefeated mission by beating the Giants in the Super Bowl - didn't get selected until the sixth round.

One NFL genius after another (including New England's brain trust for five rounds) ignored the future Hall of Famer, picking 198 players before calling his name.

Meanwhile, many scouts, draftniks, media mopes and other self-professed experts had rated Louisville's Chris Redman the top gun. Said The Sporting News: "Accurate and intelligent. Throws better than ... Peyton Manning."

Yet here Brady is, ready to win his fourth championship. He joins journeymen Kurt Warner, Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson as Super Bowl winners this decade and follows a long line of afterthoughts - including Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr - to win titles. In other words, a team need not find its signal-calling savior in the first round.

Which leads us to Chicago.

For the umpteenth time, the Bears have reached a quarterbacking crossroads. With underperforming Rex Grossman a free agent, Kyle Orton a mystery and Brian Griese a mere backup, the Bears are scrambling for an answer.

Numerous mock drafts have them using their 14th-overall pick on Kentucky QB Andre Woodson, and I have but one brief thought on the subject:

Noooooooo!

Because of the outsized pressure a first-round quarterback faces and because very few succeed as rookies, there are only two reasons a team that considers itself a contender should draft a QB early: One, the kid is a can't-miss stud; or two, the team is set at every other position and can afford to take a flyer.

No quarterback in this year's class (including Woodson) fits the first qualifier. And the Bears certainly don't fit the second.

The draft is deep at offensive tackle, and anybody who watched the Bears for even an hour knows they have a desperate need there. That being said, tight end and maybe defensive end are the only positions at which they are "set," so the best-player-available strategy could work, too.

You can't measure heart, competitiveness, leadership and "clutchness," which is why so many mistakes are made scouting quarterbacks. This year, I'm drawn to LSU's Matt Flynn, a winner and crunch-time playmaker who might be available in Round 6.

Just as Tom Brady was eight years ago.

Santana revisited

A Cubs official called and gently let me know that GM Jim Hendry did, indeed, look into acquiring Johan Santana from the Twins. I had said in my Thursday column that "no other NL club - including the Cubs - apparently even flirted with Minnesota."

"The Cubs and some other National League teams did call the Twins," the official told me. "But Santana had a no-trade clause, and he wanted to go out east and play for a team that trains in Florida. That eliminated a lot of teams."

Fair enough. Still, more than a quarter-century in this business has taught me how persuasive Ben Franklin can be.

If a team shows a player enough green-tinted pictures of Ben, said player usually tempers his "demands." I'm guessing Santana could have been convinced that Chicago - or even Anaheim - is east of somewhere and that Arizona is right down the block from Florida.

It's a $mall world, after all.

Different game

"Then, on third and four from the 21, (Bob Griese) befuddled the Redskins by throwing to a tight end." - Sports Illustrated, Jan. 22, 1973.

Is that a hoot, or what?

It's impossible to compare NFL teams of different eras, and not just because players were so much smaller and slower back when Griese's Miami Dolphins capped their 17-0 season with a Super Bowl victory over Washington.

The game has changed so dramatically that the version from 35 years ago is practically unrecognizable today.

Hall of Famer Paul Warfield led the '72 Dolphins with 29 receptions; Wes Welker caught nearly four times as many passes for these Patriots. In winning Super Bowls VII and VIII, Griese threw a total of 18 passes; Brady probably will have more attempts in Sunday's first half.

And I doubt the Giants will be befuddled even if Brady throws to a tight end on third-and-4.

Patriot victims for $400, Alex

While I wouldn't wager any of my hard-earned money on the Patriots beating the 12-point spread, I'm sticking with the 38-17 prediction I made just hours after the championship matchup was decided.

The Patriots are more talented, better coached and more likely to come through under pressure. New York's strength, its defensive line, will be negated by the quiet stars along the New England offensive front.

This won't be like the regular-season finale, when the Giants stunned the Pats early but couldn't hold on to win. This time, the Patriots will get the lead, the Giants will mess up while playing catch-up and a rout will ensue.

Just because New England's first three Super Bowl victories were close doesn't mean Sunday's will be; this is a better team. And while I admire the Giants' resolve, they'll end up being little more than the answer to a trivia question:

What team did the Patriots crush to complete the only 19-0 season in NFL history?

Mike Nadel (mikenadel@sbcglobal.net) is the Chicago sports columnist for GateHouse News Service. Read his blog, The Baldest Truth, at www.thebaldesttruth.com.

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